Every time a bell rings
by voodoogirl360
Summary: Arthur and Alfred were lovers. Then a gunshot took Arthur, and Alfred's world died. 6 months later, Alfred is still grieving. Then, during an office party, he meets the one person he never expected to see again. USUK, rated T because I'm paranoid. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS (sorry guys)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"_Arthur…Please don't do this to me!" Alfred desperately clung to his lover's hand as he lay on the hospital bed, his breathing shallow and ragged. "Please don't die!" _

_The man on the bed looked over at him. He smiled weakly. _

"_Come on now, Alfred…Is that…any way to act?" He winced as a fresh spasm of pain struck him. "It's just a bullet…The great…Arthur Kirkland…won't die from something…as trivial as this…"_

"_But the doctors said…"_

"_I don't care what the bloody doctors said!" Arthur looked at him fiercely. "I love you, Alfred F. Jones, and I am not leaving you like this! I-" Suddenly, his face went slack, and he began jerking uncontrollably. Alfred panicked._

"_Arthur? Arthur, come on!" He dashed out into the hallway, crying for help. "Someone, please! Artie's dying!" A nurse hurried over. Arthur was still seizing up, coughing up blood. The nurse hurriedly pressed the emergency call button on the wall. She began setting up an IV, probably to give him another blood transfusion. Alfred rushed back to his lover's side. Arthur had stopped coughing, which was good, but he was now limp and unresponsive. Alfred began panicking. "Oh my god! Arthur, say something!" Unconsciously, he began crying. "I can't lose you, Artie…" He began crying in earnest. Then, he felt a hand begin patting him gently. He looked up to see Arthur. His eyes were distant, which frightened Alfred. _

"_Alfred…I'm so sorry…" He started coughing again, then focused upon Alfred once more. "If I don't make it…just know I truly love you…and I'm sorry we didn't have more time…" He fell back onto the pillow, as if speaking was an effort. His eyelids began to flutter closed. He chuckled. _

"_Come on, Alfred…Smile for me…I always love it when you smile. It's like the sun, shining on me. I'd like to see it…one more time." Alfred was close to a complete breakdown, but he weakly smiled back, feeling like it took all his efforts. Arthur smiled as well. He looked peaceful at last. _

"_There we go..." He closed his eyes. "Good-bye, Alfred…and thank you for a lovely time…" _

_The pillow seemed to sink a little, and for a moment, Alfred thought he heard a soft breeze. Then the heart monitor began beeping frantically. He hadn't noticed it, but the room had filled with doctors during this scene. The first nurse immediately ran forwards with a defibrillator, pushing Alfred aside. "Clear!" she shouted, and Arthur's body jolted with electricity. For one instant, Alfred felt a wild, unreasonable hope that Arthur would live. Then the beep grew continuous. A doctor shook his head sadly._

"_Time of death: 11:03 PM." _

_The doctors and nurses filed respectfully out of the room. Alfred stood there for a minute in shock. Then he fell to his knees, howling with grief, clasping the hand that had once belonged to Arthur Kirkland._


	2. Chapter 2

Alfred leaned back in his chair. He really didn't feel like working today. This wasn't surprising, though: he never felt like working. He vaguely wondered why he had this boring office job when he could be out doing heroic stuff. Then he remembered. Arthur had pressured him into taking it after hearing about his financial state. His expression immediately turned stormy. It had been 6 months since Arthur had died, and he still hadn't completely gotten over it. He looked around for something to take his mind off the subject.

Just then, the main door swung open, and Gilbert Beilschmidt, the manager, strode in. Oh boy. The other workers looked up from their work to see what was going on.

"OK, listen up, grunts! The awesome me has an important announcement!" Alfred sighed. The others groaned as well. Announcements from Gilbert were never good.

"So anyways, the higher-ups have decided to be generous and give you a chance to socialize. So guess what?" He grinned triumphantly. There was silence. He looked around irritably. "You're supposed to say, 'What?'" Francis Bonnefoy, one of Gilbert's best friends, dutifully played along.

"What?"

"WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY!"

Everyone began cheering wildly. Even Alfred smiled. He hadn't been to a party in a while. Gilbert looked smugly around.

"I know, right? We're getting together with _mein_ awesome _bruder_, Ludwig. It's this Saturday! Me, Francis, and 'Tonio will be lending our awesome DJ talents to the party. You all had better be there!" With that, he walked out, slamming the door behind him. The room gradually settled down to its usual tepid state, though there was still an undercurrent of hubbub about the party.

Alfred chuckled. Then he turned back to the depressingly large mound of paperwork on his desk. He sighed, and dove in resignedly. Work was so _boring._

* * *

I yawned and stretched, then took another sip of my tea. Being office tea, it tasted slightly artificial, but tea was tea. Besides, with the state of excitement the office was usually in, I needed something to calm me down or I would go crazy.

Kiku, my best friend, came over and stood beside me. He smiled softly at me.

"You seem tired, Arthur-san. Did you get enough sleep last night?" I shook my head.

"Not nearly. I…had to go out and do something…work-related." I felt guilty about lying to Kiku, but he'd never believe me if I told him the truth.

You see, I'm supposed to be dead.

My name is Arthur Kirkland. When I died, 6 months ago, I was given a choice: Either go to Purgatory and spend the rest of eternity waiting, or become a probationary angel. Naturally, I chose the latter, so now I'm back here on Earth until I can do 1000 good deeds. This can be a blessing and a curse. The worst part is that when I became an angel, I had to sever all ties to my old life. That meant losing Alfred. Leaving him and never seeing him again. I wasn't even allowed to contact him. I miss him so much. I stared out the small window in the break room, thinking about the past.

"…ur-san? Arthur-san!" Kiku's voice broke me out of my reverie.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Kiku…" Kiku smiled.

"It's fine, Arthur-san. I hope your business went well last night." He glanced up at the small wall clock. "Ah, break time is over. We should go back to the main office." I nodded, and followed him out of the door. After I was resurrected, I was given an apartment far from our old one and a job at the nearby software company. As fate would have it, Alfred worked at another branch of the same company. Yet another reminder of him. I shook my head, trying not to focus on it. I sat down at my cubicle, and turned towards the stack of paperwork that awaited me. I was about to start on it, when the main door opened, and Ludwig Beilschmidt, the branch manager, walked in. He cleared his throat, and everyone instantly fell silent.

"Attention, everyone! I have an important announcement to make. Apparently, _mein_ idiotic _bruder_ has decided to take steps to 'strengthen relationships between the branches'. Being who he is, Gilbert has determined that the only logical way to do this is to throw a party." Cheering predictably erupted. Ludwig cleared his throat again, and it grew quiet.

"The party will be held at the local community center this Saturday at 9:00. Please bring some sort of food. That is all!" He turned abruptly to leave. Just as he was about to close the door, there was a loud crashing noise from the direction of the supply room, and a series of flustered "Ve~"s. Ludwig turned on the spot, exasperation etched on his face.

"Feliciano! What the hell have you done this time?" he barked, now going at a full sprint. Kiku jumped up and hurried after him, frantically trying to calm Ludwig down. Then Feliciano burst out of the supply room, somehow on fire. The room erupted into chaos as Feliciano raced around frantically, with Lovino, his brother, yelling furiously at Ludwig, while Kiku tried to get Feliciano to 'stop, drop and roll'. I sighed, putting my head in my hands and desperately trying to ignore the chaos. Sometimes I wondered if I should have gone to Purgatory instead.

* * *

_Hey all! Voodoogirl360 here. Thank you guys for all the favorites! I have a lot of stuff going on during the week, so my updates may not come all that frequently, but I'll try my best to update as fast as I can! I have to admit, I was surprised by the immediate positive reaction to this. Thank you to all the people who have reviewed so far! Keep reviewing! Please tell me if anyone's terribly OOC. That's all for now! Voodoogirl360 is out!_


	3. Chapter 3

_I panted, running hard and not daring to stop and catch my breath. Behind me, the heavy footsteps of Matthias Køhler and his cronies sounded through the alleyway. I cursed my foolish sense of pride as I ran. How had I possibly thought that I was ready to pull off a heist this big?_

_I began gasping for air, my lungs burning, but I couldn't stop. Matthias was renowned amongst "The Gang" for never letting a thief live once he was captured. _

_Suddenly, my foot hit an errant stone, and I tripped. I tumbled head over heels. I hastily scrambled to my feet, but it was too late. Matthias' right-hand man, Lukas Bondevik, tackled me, and I took a dive for the second time that night. This time, I had the sense to stay down._

_Lukas dragged me roughly to my feet, my hands still firmly secured behind my back. I struggled, but to no avail._

_Then, my blood ran cold as Matthias stepped forwards, flanked by Tino Väinämöinen and Berwald Oxenstierna. He smirked. _

_"Hello, Arthur." _

_"Get away from me, you piece of filth," I spat at him. He frowned._

_"Oh come on, Arthur, is that any way to act?" His face returned to its usual smirk. "We're all friends here, after all."_

_"As if. I know you're going to kill me no matter what." He sighed._

_"Regretfully true. But maybe you'll favor me before you go with the name of whoever put you up to this?"_

_I snorted. "I'll never tell you anything."_

_"I was hoping you wouldn't say that." He clicked his fingers, and Berwald stepped forward. "Berwald, our little thief grows tiresome. Go ahead and dispose of him."_

_Berwald nodded, and pointed his pistol at my chest. I couldn't tell what he was thinking as he cocked the gun. I closed my eyes, and waited for the impact._

_It felt like fire, ripping through my body and tearing me apart. I slumped to the ground, in too much pain to speak. Matthias smiled coldly._

_"Goodbye, Arthur," he said, and walked off, his henchmen trailing behind. My vision was blurred and hazy. Was I really going to die here in this alley, a nobody? _

_I leaned back against the wall, groaning with pain. My ears were ringing, and everything was becoming black. Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps. _Good_, I thought to myself._ Someone's come to put me out of my misery_. I looked up, and saw the worried face of a young man with sandy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes framed with wire-rim glasses. His face was the last thing I saw before I passed out._

* * *

_My eyes opened with a start. I immediately sat up. Then a searing pain in my side nearly made me black out again. I slumped back down, wincing._

_"Whoa, careful, dude. I don't know what happened to you, but it's probably not a good idea to sit up just yet," a voice said from nearby. I turned towards the sound, to see a young man sitting on the couch. I recognized him as the man who'd found me before I passed out. He grinned. "Hi! My name's Alfred F. Jones. Who're you?"_

_I scowled. "None of your business." Alfred pouted, and crossed his arms._

_"Aw, come on! It's only fair! I mean, I told you mine." I rolled my eyes. "Besides, I can't keep calling you dude. That'd just be weird." He looked at me eagerly. "So come on! What is it?"_

_I sighed exsperatedly. "Fine," I said. It couldn't hurt if he just knew my first name, right? "Arthur. It's Arthur."_

_Alfred smiled brilliantly, and shook my hand, helping me to sit up. "Cool! Nice to meet you, Artie!" _

_I spluttered. "Wh-Who gave you permission to call me Artie!?" _

_"I don't need permission, 'cause I'm the hero, and heroes don't need permission to do anything!" He flashed a thumbs-up and struck a heroic pose. _

_I flared up, blushing. "Y-you _git_!" I pounded my fists ineffectually against him, Alfred laughing uproariously. This was going to be one long night._

* * *

_Hello everyone! I'm super sorry this update took so long. I got in trouble with the 'rents, and as a result, was grounded for far longer than I would have liked. However, I am free once more, and writing away! _

_Thank you all for all the great reviews! I really appreciate it._

**_Yanelle-_**_I can see where you're coming from. I'm surprised Arthur's put up with it for so long! Personally, though, I'd rather be an angel than wait around for all eternity…_

_More insight into Alfred and Arthur's past! I'm thinking every other chapter is going to be a flashback. Tell me if you approve!_

_Stay tuned for more! I'm working as fast as I can. Free pasta hand-cooked by Veneziano for everyone who reviews!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Woohoo! Party time!" Alfred punched a fist in the air. As predicted, the prospect of a good old-fashioned party had cheered him up immensely. Plus, with Gilbert hosting, the party was sure to be a winner. He could be annoying at times, but _man_ did he know how to entertain.

He straightened his tie, and smoothed down his hair one last time. Then he burst into the community center's gym. He was instantly met by a cacophony of flashing lights and loud dubstep. The gym was already jam-packed with people. Just then, Gilbert walked by, wearing a Rainbow Dash T-shirt and covered in glowsticks. He looked over, and noticed Alfred.

"Alfred! Come on in, dude! Looking awesome!" He fist-bumped Alfred, then smirked. "I gotta go back to my post of Awesome Co-DJ! Catch you later, bro!" He disappeared into the crowd of people. Alfred waved after him, then began to make his way through the crowd to where he could see a refreshments stand.

He pushed and shoved his way through the throng. It was so dark that he could barely make out anyone's face. There were occasional flashes of light from the central stage. Gilbert had apparently made it back onstage, as a loud voice cut through the crowd.

"All right, folks! It's time for the karaoke section of our awesome party! We'll pick someone at random from the audience, let them pick a song, and then good luck to them!" He made a strange noise that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a hiss. The spotlights unified into one, and began roving around the crowd. Finally, at a signal from Gilbert, they stopped in the middle of the crowd, highlighting someone. Alfred could make out scruffy blond hair. Francis and Antonio appeared from nowhere, and went down into the crowd, bringing the unfortunate man up onto the stage.

Alfred's heart stopped.

There, on the stage, was a relatively short man with wild blond hair, bright green eyes, and outrageously thick eyebrows. He had a roguish grin on his face, and teetered slightly as he walked to the center of the stage.

Alfred stood there, not daring to believe his eyes. It was impossible! He had died! For Christ's sake, he'd been _in the room_ when it had happened!

But his eyes and his heart were both telling him the same thing: The man onstage was, without a doubt, the one and only Arthur Kirkland.

* * *

Arthur wobbled around on stage a bit as he got his bearings. Gilbert whispered into his ear, and he whispered back. Gilbert nodded, then walked back over to the mixtables. A moment later, the music started. He immediately began singing.

_If I die young, bury me in satin_

_ Lay me down on a bed of roses_

_ Sink me in the river at dawn_

_ Send me away with the words of a love song_

Tears began to form in Alfred's eyes. He wanted to leave, get out of there, but he stayed, transfixed by his lover's voice.

_Lord make me a rainbow I'll shine down on my mother_

_ She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh well_

_ Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no_

_ Ain't even grey but she buries her baby_

_The sharp knife of a short life, well_

_ I've had just enough time_

Alfred could see Arthur start to falter in his words. The crowd cheered him on, oblivious.

_If I die young, bury me in satin_

_ Lay me down on a bed of roses_

_ Sink me in the river at dawn_

_ Send me away with the words of a love song_

_The sharp knife of a short life, well_

_ I've had just enough time_

The crowd had begun to fall silent now, noticing the emotion behind his voice.

_And I'll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom_

_ I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger,_

_ I've never known the lovin' of a man_

_ But it sure felt nice when he was holdin' my hand,_

_ There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever,_

_ Who would have thought forever could be severed by_

_The sharp knife of a short life, well,_

_ I've had just enough time_

Alfred couldn't take it anymore. He began shoving his way through the crowd. Arthur kept singing, fully engaged in the song.

_A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar  
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner  
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'  
Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'_

If I die young, bury me in satin  
Lay me down on a bed of roses  
Sink me in the river at dawn  
Send me away with the words of a love song

With a final push, Alfred broke through to the front of the stage just as Arthur stopped singing. Just then, he noticed the commotion. He stared down at Alfred.

For a moment their eyes met. Alfred could see surprise, fear, and a hint of…regret?

Then he turned, and pelted offstage, bumping into people left and right. Alfred hurriedly gave chase.

* * *

Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap. I ran blindly out of the gymnasium, ignoring the confused and annoyed looks that passersby shot at me. Seconds later, the door burst open once more, and I could hear footsteps right behind me.

This was bad. I'd broken the taboo law, let him see me. How could I have been so careless? I skidded around a corner, desperately searching for the exit doors. Luckily, Alfred had never been very good on his feet. I winced slightly as I heard the inevitable crash. Under normal circumstances, I would have taunted him behind my back, but that would make things even worse.

I smirked to myself. Luckily, there was a reason why I had never been caught in a heist (well, except for that one run-in with Matthias, but that was beside the point, and anyways, I would have gotten away if I hadn't tripped-but I digress).

At last, I spotted the exit doors, and made a beeline towards them. Alfred was hot on my heels, however, and made a move to block me. As if that could stop Arthur Kirkland. I began speeding up, and tensed in preparation. Then I grabbed his shoulders and pushed off. Flipping neatly over Alfred, I continued in my mad dash towards the exit. Alfred didn't take long to recover from this shock, and was almost immediately tailing me once more.

I turned corner after corner, beginning to pant with exhaustion. Finally, I entered a large plaza, with plenty of shoppers milling about. Perfect. I dove into the crowd, and mingled quickly, taking my glow-sticks off for good measure. I slowed to a casual walk, and prayed he wouldn't see me. I watched him from afar, looking over each person in the crowd. Finally, he gave up in frustration, stomping away. I watched him go, sadly. Then I walked on, back in the direction of my apartment. That had been too close.

* * *

_Hey all! _

_First of all, I'm reeeeeeally sorry about the late update. Please don't kill me! I haven't forgotten about you guys, really! _

_Also, happy Thanksgiving, all! Have a good one! _

_Finally, yes, I did make Prussia a brony. In my headcanon, he is a brony. DEAL WITH IT._

_Keep reviewing! You guys are awesome! Voodoogirl360 out!_


	5. Update

Hey guys, voodoogirl360 here.

Sorry for tricking you all and making you think this was a long-awaited update.

Sadly, there will be no more updates to this fic.

I've reached a point in the story where I'm at a loss as to how to continue. I'm really sorry, you guys. If any of you want to continue this fic, then by all means do it. Just PM me first, and I'll most likely allow you. I'll even write a oneshot of your choice if you can continue this fic. Two if you can complete it.

I'm by no means done writing. In fact, I just recently posted a oneshot centered in the universe of my latest obsession, The Touhou Project. You should check it out, if you haven't already. I've still got plenty of Hetalia ideas too, so don't worry. This girl's not completely gone. Just very lazy.

Sorry again, guys, and hope to talk to you again soon in some author notes column in my next fanfic. Voodoogirl360 out.


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